Ezo flying squirrel Coloring Pages

A Flying Squirrel Living in the Forests of Hokkaido

The Ezo flying squirrel is a tiny squirrel that lives in the forests of Hokkaido.
Its body is only about 15 to 16 centimeters long. Its tail is about 10 to 12 centimeters long. It weighs only about 100 to 120 grams.
Its big black eyes and fluffy fur are super cute.
The third coloring page shows one sitting on a thin branch, looking right at you.

Gliding Through the Air with Skin Membranes

On the side of its body, between its front and back legs, the Ezo flying squirrel has a thin flap of skin.
This is called a "patagium."
When it leaps from a tree, it spreads its arms and legs wide to stretch this skin tight. Then it glides through the air to the next tree.
It does not flap like a bird. Instead, it glides like a sailplane.
Look for the skin flaps on the side of its body in the first coloring page.

Steering with a Flat Tail

The tail of the Ezo flying squirrel is flat and bushy.
When it glides through the air, it uses this tail to turn or slow down.

Active at Night

The Ezo flying squirrel is an animal that is active at night.
It leaves its nest around sunset. Then it eats tree buds, leaves, flowers, and seeds.
Its big eyes help it see very well, even in the dark night forest.

Living in Tree Holes

During the day, it rests inside a hole in a tree trunk.
The second coloring page shows two of them poking their faces out of a tree hole.
Sometimes they even make their nests in holes carved out by woodpeckers.

A Face with Chubby Cheeks

The face of the Ezo flying squirrel is perfectly round. It has big eyes, short ears, and long whiskers.
Because it looks so cute, people love it and call it the "fairy of the forest."
Compare the faces of the two squirrels in the second coloring page.

Let's Compare Body Sizes

The Ezo flying squirrel weighs only about as much as two eggs.
It is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand as it leaps from tree to tree.
In the third coloring page, look at how its tiny front paws hold tightly onto the branch.
It is so cute when it munches on leaves and buds up in the trees.
Its fluffy fur also keeps it warm during the cold Hokkaido winters.

Use Light Gray and White for the Fur

The Ezo flying squirrel has a light gray or light brown back, and a white belly.
If you color from the back to the belly so it gets lighter and lighter, the fur will look fluffy!
Their fur turns grayish in winter and brownish in summer.

Make the Big Eyes Sparkle

Color the eyes black, but leave a small white spot for a highlight to make them sparkle!
If you outline the eyes with a slightly darker color, they will stand out even more.
The nose is light pink.

The Gliding Membrane and Tail

Try outlining the gliding membrane on the side of the body with a gray that is a little darker than the back.
Color the flat tail light brown, and leave the tips of the fur white to make it look bushy!

Trees and Branches

Color the tree trunks and branches brown or gray.
The fir leaves on the right of the 1st coloring page are dark green. On the 2nd coloring page, mix dark brown and light brown for the tree bark to make it look like a real forest tree!

Compare and Color All 3 Pages

The 1st page is by a tree trunk, the 2nd page is inside a tree hole, and the 3rd page is on a thin branch.
It is the same Ezo flying squirrel, but it looks different in each place!
The 3rd page has no background, so if you draw the sky or forest around it, it will become your very own picture.

Draw Whiskers Thin with Dark Colors

Sharpen a dark brown or gray colored pencil to trace the long whiskers.
Adding whiskers will make the face look super lively!

They Don't Sleep in Winter

An Ezo flying squirrel does not hibernate, even during the cold Hokkaido winter.
Even in the snow, they come out of their nests at night to eat tree buds and other things.
On cold days, several of them might huddle together inside their nest to stay warm.

Difference from Giant Flying Squirrels

There is an animal very similar to the Ezo flying squirrel called the Japanese giant flying squirrel.
A giant flying squirrel is much bigger, with a body about 40 centimeters long.
An Ezo flying squirrel is small enough to fit right in the palm of your hand.

Babies from Spring to Summer

An Ezo flying squirrel gives birth to 2 to 6 babies from spring to summer.
The babies grow up inside nests made in tree holes.

Watch Quietly at Night

In Hokkaido, there are places where you can watch an Ezo flying squirrel come out of its nest hole in the evening.
The rule is to watch quietly without making loud noises or shining lights on them.

Different from Sugar Gliders

The popular pet, the sugar glider, has a similar name in Japanese, but it is actually a relative of the kangaroo.
The Ezo flying squirrel is a relative of the squirrel.